The Huyck Bain Crandell Collection, Document BH016

< Next Earlier Document — Next Later Document >

1739-06-20? A True Copy of the 1679-07-09 Deed from Jan Hendrik Bruyn to Andres Hanse Huyck

Image: BH016 obv.jpg

Transcription:

Compareerde voor my Rob. Livingston, Sec'y van Albany Colony, Rensselaerswyck & Schaen & c., Lady(Schaenectady) &c., ten overstaen van de E. Achtbare Heeren Mr. Andries Teller & Mr. Dirck Wessels, Commissarissen der Stad Gerechte & Jan Hendrik Bruyn, de welke beloerde in waaren hechte Vrye Eigendom te Cedere, Transporteere & overledragegen ad en ten behooven van Andries Hanse Huygh, zekere Stuk Lands gelegen by Kinderhook aan de Noord(noort) Zyde van de Kinderhookse Kill — beginnende van d' Kill daar de Jacob Moolen gestaat & trekkende langs d' noote(groote) Kill tot aan de Afgwalle Bergh, zijnde(zynde) uit(all) het Lands die d' Bruyn heeft gepossideerd op de oost(noort) Zyde van d' groote Kill, gespecificeerd in zekere grant brief hem Clement van de gewesende Gouvernr Genl Francis Lovelace dato den 9 Juny 1671, uit welkers Cracht hy dit Transporteert waertoe en desen gecertificeerd(geresereest?) wert. Insgelijks(Insgelyx?) een hoekkie Lands mede gemelt in Soop grant brief, gelegen aan de Oost(Zinydt?) Zyde van d' groote Kill, beginnende van d' Afgwalle Bergh tot aan dat Kleine Hilleke(Kill) die binnen de hoekkie & beoomt & dat vry & onbelaswaert sonder eenige laaste daarop drukkende ofte uytgaende lichtenouden Heer Zijn(Zyn) Recht, sonder dat Gedamt int minste daerby meerder heeft te Cretendeere, als bekennende daer voor ten genoegen — voldaen & betaelt te weesen den eerste Pen — met den leer geweer der halve Clenami detionem Cesam & Volkoome makt den den voornoende Andries Hanse Huygh & zyne leven & ende naerkome-linge ofte die daermaels zijn(zyn) Recht in dese mogte Erijgne om met het Stuk & hoekkie Lands te doen en desponceren gelijck als bij(by) met zijn(Zyn) Patrimoniale Goederen & Erfuft daer beude heege — beloornde d'selve gu & Herams seinen Gelijcke te waare & te vrije voor alle Commer naermaeninge ofte Geschaernite als Recht is & vorters hier tegens nimmermeer te sullen doen noch laten geschiede in geeniger maniere, sonder Ebant als naer Kerkelijk daarop staende Datum in Albany de 9 July 1679

A Teller — — — — — A True Copy — — — — — Jan Hendrik Bruyn Dirck Wessels — — — — — — — — — — — — — My Present — — — — — — — By Ja Stevenson Clerk — — Rob. Livingston, Sec'y_

Translation

Appeared before me, Robert Livingston, Secretary of Albany Colony, Rensselaerswyck & Schenectady &c., in the presence of the Honorable Gentlemen Mr. Andries Teller and Mr. Dirck Wessels, Commissioners of the City Court, and Jan Hendrik Bruyn, who declared in true and binding free ownership to cede, transport and transfer to and for the benefit of Andries Hanse Huygh, a certain parcel of land situated at Kinderhook on the north side of the Kinderhook Kill — beginning from the Kill where the Jacob Mill stands, and running along the small kill to the Fallen Hill [Afgwalle Bergh], being from the lands which Bruyn has possessed on the east(north?) side of the great Kill, as specified in a certain grant letter given to him [Clement?] by the former Governor General Francis Lovelace dated the 9th of June 1671, by virtue of which he makes this transport and by which this is certified. Likewise a small corner of land also mentioned in said grant letter, lying on the east side of the great Kill, beginning from the Fallen Hill to that small hillock within the corner, bounded and free and unencumbered without any charges pressing upon or issuing from it, saving the old lord's right, without the said [party] having the least further claim thereto — acknowledging therefor to be to his satisfaction paid and satisfied the first penny — with the complete and full cession and transfer made unto the aforementioned Andries Hanse Huygh and his life and heirs and successors or those who may hereafter obtain his right in this, to do and dispose of the said parcel and corner of land as with his patrimonial goods and inheritance — promising the same to warrant and defend against all claims, suits and encumbrances as is right, and furthermore never to act or cause to be acted against this in any manner, without [penalty] as by ecclesiastical law thereunto standing. Done in Albany the 9th of July 1679

A Teller — — — — — A True Copy — — — — — Jan Hendrik Bruyn Dirck Wessels — — — — — — — — — — — — — My Present — — — — — — — By Ja Stevenson Clerk — — Rob. Livingston, Sec'y_

— Transcribed and translated by Claude.ai on 2026-04-25 with my corrections in parentheses - jhc

Commentary

NOTE: These three documents were written in the same hand, apparently that of Ja Stevenson, Clerk. It seems likely they were all written at the same time since the first two are dated the same day and the latter affirms Burger Huyck's title to his farm covered by the litigation bond.

BH015 ~ 1739-06-20 Bill of Sale of Negro Boy, Quash, by Johannis Beeckman Jr. to Burger Huyck
BH010 ~ 1739-06-20 Litigation Bond, Huyck Patentees vs. Cornelius Schermerhoorn, Witnessed by Philip Livingston Jr.
BH016 ~ [[1679-07-01 - Affirmation of Title? - To Farm of Andres Hanse Huyck]]

All requiring a trip from Kline Kill to Albany, not insignificant in those days.

This is apparently "A True Copy" of the original document signed by Robt. Livingston, Secretary of the commissaries who superintended the affairs of Albany, Schenectady, and the parts adjacent from 1675 to 1686.

It's my guess this copy was made in connection with the suit against Cornelius Schermerhoorn (BH010) for his share of the costs of the 1731 Huyck Patent.

"Burgar Huyck and others received a patent for six thousand acres, Oct. 2, 1731, from Rip Van Dam, president, and Archibald Kennedy and Cadwallader Colden, councillors, for lands on " both sides of Kinderhook creek, and running north to the south bounds of Rensselaerswyck, and east along that line 70 chains."

— History of Columbia County New York by Captain Franklin Ellis, 1878, pg 20

This document may have something to do with the de Bruyn Patent. The de Bruyn Patent property was purchased from the Indians in 1668 and patented in 1686 by Jan Hendrick de Bruyn. Apparently Dirck Wessels was involved. I haven't seen mention of Andres Teller. Some sources say the first settlers arrived in the area about 1650 but Andres Huyck's birth date of 1647 in Kinderhook, if accurate, puts their arrival in the 1640s. I think the Huyck Patent partially overlapped de Bruyn Patent.

This document seems to relate to property on the north side of Kinderhook Creek opposite where the Kline Kill enters Kinderhook Creek. The farm just south of this juncture is what I know as the Crandell farm where I believe Peter Bain lived at one time. He is somehow related to the Huyck family and the Crandells (I found a book in the Hugh Bain trunk inscribed to Walter Bain Crandell) (as an aside, my great-grandma Digons worked for the Crandells as a maid I believe and I think her daughter, my Grandma Goodrich, might have been born there). It is possible this farm passed down through the Huyck / Bain / Crandell family all the way from Andres Huyck.

"In March, 1667, Major Staats, who had hitherto only a ground-brief for his land, had his title confirmed by Governor Nicolls and received a formal patent." pg49"

"Years ago, much more frequently than now, we were wont to hear of Brown (Bruyn) Right as denoting the northerly part of our town. The origin of the designation appears in the most notable of all the earlier patents, that issued by Governor Dongan in 1668 to J. Hendrix De Bruyn. The earlier Indian deed bears the names, Pompoenick, Taeppehismen, and Attawanoe. Their 'marks' are much more artistic and picturesque than those of the illiterate of our time. That of Attawanoe for instance looks like a small bug with sixteen legs. The tract, beginning about a mile south of the Rensselaerswyck border, had a riverfront of about three miles, and extended thence eastward about six miles. The descriptive part of the Patent is as follows :"

" '. . . from Davidson's Creek which Creek lies against bear island called in the Indian tongue Pahpapaenpemock and from the said Creek stretching southerly along the river to the saw kill of Frans Peiters Claver the Creek in the Indian tongue called Pittannoock stretching to the East and in the woods to the first two lakes or inwaters which are called by the Indians Hithoock and Wogashawachook.'

"The Patent gives no other boundaries nor is the number of acres stated, but they were about 19,000. While there is indefiniteness as to boundaries, there is a precision and comprehensiveness as regards "appurtenances and hereditaments" worthy of emulation by modem conveyancers. We quote, verbatim, literatim et punctuatim:"

" '. . . Houses Barnes Buildings fencis Gardens Orchards Soyles Pastures ffeedings Inclosures Woods Underwoods timber Trees Swamps Marshes Waters Rivers Rivoletts Runs Brooks Lakes Streams Ponds Quarrys Mines Mineralls fishing fowling hunting Hawking Silver and Gold Mines excepted.'

"The consideration was 'five Bushells of good Winter Merchantable Wheate att New Yorke,' payable annually. Evidently De Bruyn, who owned several houses in Albany and considerable tracts in Bethlehem and Catskill, was one of the great land speculators of his time. His title to the first great tract passed in 1707 to Laurence Van Alen and by his will of 1712 was devized to his nine children."

"To J. H. De Bruyn, Evert Luycas, Dirck Wessels, and Peter Van Alen, in 1671 and later, several successive patents were issued covering tracts on both sides of the creek and extending from Major Staats's 'bouerie' to or beyond Valatie. It, or a considerable part of it, came to be known as 'TheGrooteStuk.'

"In very many of the earliest land-papers this Groote Stuk (Great Piece) is named. The phrase appears on our earliest map and might be regarded as indicating the older part of Kinderhook village. It was for long a puzzle to us as regards its precise location. It is only from information derived piece by piece from a multitude of sources that we are able to state with approximate accuracy, that while the older part of the village was in the Groote Stuk, the term included much more. It was a tract beginning at the creek at Valatie and extending thence southerly along both sides of the creek through the old village of Kinderhook and as far probably as Lindenwald, or the easterly line of the Nuttenhook patent. Prior to 1668 it had been purchased of the Indians; the renowned Wattawit being the owner, personally, or as representing a tribe or clan of the Mahicans."

"In vol. iii., p. 60, of Patents, we find this Confirmation of title:

" '.... a tract not farre from Nuttenhook and ye Kinder Hoeck known by ye Indian name of Machackoeske, stretching on both sides of ye Kill and goeing up Northerly next to ye land formerly (in 1665. See p. 59.) bought of ye Indians by Evert Luykassen and so to Pachaquack (Valatie), which said piece or Parcell of land hath been . . . purchased from the Indian native owners by Evert Luykassen, J. H. Bruyn and Dirk Wessels, May 1666, of which they sold a fourth part to Pieter Van Alen.' The confirmation is dated June 26, 1668."

Clipped from: "A History of Old Kinderhook from Aboriginal Days to the Present Time …" by Collier, 1914

Notes:

What this document reveals:

Robert Livingston himself executed this deed as Secretary — this is Livingston the Elder, age 25, just five years after arriving in Albany, already acting in his official capacity. The archive has come full circle: Livingston witnessed the root deed in 1679, and his son witnessed the lease-and-release in 1734.

The title chain is now complete:

1671: Governor Lovelace grants land to Bruyn (Clement?)

1679: Jan Hendrik Bruyn transfers to Andries Hanse Huygh — the patriarch

1734: Lease-and-release, Johannis Huygh to Burger Huygh

1736: Quit claim, Johannis conveys his fifth share of the orchard to Burger

Andries Teller and Dirck Wessels as commissioners — both prominent Albany Dutch figures of the period.

"Afgwalle Bergh" — the Fallen Hill — a landmark that persists across all the Kinderhook documents as a boundary marker.

The Jacob Mill on the Kill as a starting point — a local landmark now lost to history.

This is described as a copy of unknown date — likely made when the 1736 quit claim was being prepared, to establish the root of title going back through the generations.

— Notes by Claude.ai 4.6 2026-05-01 - jhc

Metadata

Document: BH016

Date: 1739-06-20?

Language: Dutch

Type: Deed

Subject: Land Records, Legal Proceedings

Principals: Jan Hendrick Bruyn, Andres Hanse Huyck

Other Persons Mentioned: Andres Teller, Dirck Wessels, Francis Lovelace, Robt. Livingston, Ja Stevenson

Places Mentioned: Albany, Schenectady, Kinderhook Creek, Kline Kill, Jacob Mill, Fallen Hill

— page revised 2026-05-26 - jhc

< Next Earlier Document — Next Later Document >

Huyck Bain Crandell Sitemap